Freehold Township, NJ Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)

Section 232-1M sits in Chapter 232, Peace and Good Order, added December 19, 2006 by Ord. No. O-06-47 and amended May 24, 2022 by Ord. No. O-22-8. It reaches four separate acts: manufacturing, selling, transporting, or using fireworks of a type New Jersey law already prohibits (the Township does not define which fireworks are illegal; state law does that). The distinctive local piece is the presumption clause: if prohibited fireworks are used on a property, the person who owns or controls that property is presumed to have permitted the use.

That presumption is rebuttable only two ways under the text: by showing affirmative action was taken to stop or prevent the use, or by showing the owner was not physically present or in close proximity when it happened. Absent one of those defenses, a homeowner can be cited for fireworks set off by a guest, tenant, or trespasser on their land. Enforcement runs through Section 232-2, which routes penalties to Chapter 1, Article II, General Penalty, rather than setting a fireworks-specific fine. Chapter 232 also separately prohibits open burning in violation of Chapter 162, Article V, and disorderly conduct generally, so a fireworks incident can sometimes stack with other Chapter 232 violations depending on the facts (noise, property damage, or unlawful dumping of spent devices).